This invention is in the field of shoes. Shoes, particularly women's shoes, have both functional characteristics and design characteristics. Functional characteristics include heel height and shape and the nature of the back of the shoe, i.e. whether open-back, sling-back or closed back. Design characteristics include color, material, and decorative elements such as buckles, piecing, stitching or other ornamental features. Matching both the functional and design characteristics of women's dress, business or fashion leisure shoes with women's dress, business or fashion leisure clothing can be difficult. Business or dress shoes usually have a slim outline, with a thin sole and no protruding welt. Many dress and business occasions call for closed-toe shoes rather than open-toe shoes or sandals. In addition, closed-toe shoes are required for the winter months. The related prior art has limitations that prevent the disclosed art from being applicable to a closed-toe dress shoe. Attempts to provide an interchangeable vamp or upper have produced bulky or complex mechanisms unsuited for women's dress shoes. Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 2,809,449 disclosed an upper attached to the sole with a zipper-like slide fastener unsuited for women's dress shoes. Gardiner, U.S. Pat. No. 2,761,224 disclosed a shoe with a hollow welt for a detachable upper, where the connecting means is embedded into the welt and sole of the shoe, resulting in a thick sole and protruding welt. Halford, U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,385 disclosed an insole/outsole combination with a thickened sole suitable for an outdoor or athletic shoe.
The toe area of a shoe presents a particular problem for interchangeable vamps or uppers because the tapered shape of the toe area must be taken into account. Other prior art avoids the design complications of a closed toe shoe by being applicable only to an open-toe sandal design. Kelly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,935 disclosed a convertible shoe upper comprised of an insole and vamp unit construction with a hook and loop fastener, a design suitable only for a sandal. Boros disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,177 a channel inserted within the shoe base that does not make any provision for a closed toe and that requires a thick sole. Tonkel disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,028,420 a sandal-type shoe with a slot into which a reversible vamp is inserted. The patent issued to Yang, U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,697 disclosed a strap shoe with a complex system of buckling bases and strap slots forming a sandal. The patent issued to Lockard, U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,346 also makes no provision for a closed toe shoe. U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,649 issued to Smith disclosed a sandal type shoe with a wedgie heel unsuited for dress or business wear.
Other prior art provides for certain design elements to be interchangeable, but the disclosed interchangeable device does not comprise the entire vamp or upper section, limiting the design characteristics that can be interchanged. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,795, Taicher disclosed an interchangeable design element that is attached to the top of the vamp of the shoe. Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,583,826, Fischer disclosed a system of interchangeable panels in a vamp, but the entire vamp is not interchangeable. Weaver, U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,896 disclosed a backless sandal with an arcuate vamp cover snapped to the shoe base. In addition to being suitable only for an open-toe shoe, the snapping mechanism prevents the shoe from having the sleek appearance necessary for women's dress shoes.
It is an object of this invention to provide a dress, business or fashion leisure shoe having a vamp or shoe base which can be interchanged to complement the wearer's clothing selection or activity. It is a further object of the invention that the wearer can utilize a vamp having favored design characteristics with multiple shoe bases. It is a further object of the invention that the shoe have the appearance of a standard dress or business shoe, being capable of having a thin sole and no protruding welts. It is a further object that the shoe can have either a closed toe or an open toe.